11.07.2004

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Garlic

This is a recipe I made up the other day and was delighted with the results. The roasted squash and garlic give the soup a much better flavor than if they had been cooked another way. And whats better, it's easier since you just throw the squash and garlic in oven and forget about it for 40 min. Once it's cooked the soup making part is incrediblty easy and fast. Excellent for the cold weather. And yes, we do have a little cold weather in LA!

Directions:
Place four cloves of garlic still in their paper peels on a sheet of aluminum foil, add half a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and wrap the foil around it. To do the squash, cut it lengthwise and place face down on a pan. Bake together on a cookie sheet for about 40 minutes on 375 degrees F. Let both cool a bit, and then you can squeeze the garlic cloves out of their individual peels. Scoop the flesh out of the butternut squash skin and place with the garlic in a saucepan. Add the broth and corn and bring to a boil. Once the corn has cooked (or thawed if you are using frozen corn) turn the heat off. Toss in the blender and blend until smooth or use a blending wand and do it right in the pan. Blend until smooth. Return soup to pan and heat through on low. Stir in the pinch of thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.